Ski Mountaineering

Wow what an ace trip me and Alex had. Last year we ski toured the Haute Route as our second trip without a guide and the trip went really well, lots of bad weather and challenging navigation and some superb skiing as we took a variation a little higher and longer than the "normal" route. But the weather caught up with us on the last day and we got stormed off at the Vignettes Hut with only one long day left to go to Zermatt. So we abandoned and ski'd the powder down to Arolla. So this year we needed to finish off last years goal and find a new one - i had been hatching a plan to climb Mont Blanc and ski off it - the plan was now a goal.

We got up early in Chamonix and drove over to Switzerland, dropping the car off at Visp and catching a bus up to Arolla, we then sunk a strong coffee and started uphill - a lot of uphill and eventually through searing sun we made it to the Vignettes Hut at 3100m (or just above!). Bit of a gamble as coming from sea level up to 3000m to sleep in 24 hours is not usual! We actually felt fine and we drank wine and slept really well. next day the start was an early 6am start as it was a long day with avalanche risk and three big cols to go over. We powered up the first one, overtook a few groups (bit strange as they were acclimatised and we definitely weren't - but maybe they were knackered after a week of skiing!), the views were excellent, the sun was out, it was t-shirt weather and it was great. next 3000m col was under the belt and we still felt good on the steep climbs but by the time we got to the last one (about half way up it at about 3200m) Alex suddenly turned round and said - you've slowed down - umm - yes I feel like shite - she did too - groups passed us again and we plodded on to the col at 3500m, took a picture with the Matterhorn in the background and shot off for lower climes!!! The downhill was long and we passed slopes prone to avalanche as quickly as we could as the temperatures just got hotter and hotter, the snow turned to deep slush and and twisty turny trees and eventually we hit a track that took us to our wine in a bar - we had finally finished the Haute Route - it took us a year not a week! Next day we climbed up the Breithorn (4165m) feeling a little slow with hurty feet but the sun was out and the ski off was great - bits of hard pack icy stuff, snow crystals, powder, spring snow and slush - excellent fun.

Next we went back to Chamonix for a good nights sleep and a look at the forcast, the weather was settled for the next two days, so we set off up to the Cosmique Hut near the Aguille du Midi lift at 3613m for an acclimatisation night.

We met a bloke who was gonna climb a

big gully the nex

t day then climb Mont Blanc

solo the next day, we were gonna ski Valley Blanche in the morning then back to Cosmique Hut and up Mon

t Blanc the same day as him, so we joined up and attached a plan to go together. Alex and I watched a big rescue going on near the hut on our route over breaky, bit scary (ok a lot scarey), but we had a good look at the route through the seracs with the bino's and gulped and set off down valley Blanche about an hour too early - it was

bolier plate re frozen crud and slush - umm how pleasant - the last little bit became nice to ski so we should have waited a bit for the snow to soften - oh well - it was good for our combat skiing!

Down into Chamonix for lunch and a shower (luxury!) and back late afternoon for the Cosmique Hut again, we met up with Nick at the lift station. The hut was crowded and we opted for the 1am breaky - god - how was I gonna get up for that - simples - I hardly slept - Alex and I were in the top tier of the 3 layer bunk room - it was like an ice climb just getting up there and people faffed, used their mobiles and snored all night - so i was wide awake and raring to go by 1am. breaky was yummy home made bread, the weather was quite warm and the uphill started. We roped up when we got near the seracs where the rescue had been and found a way through

the blocks, powered on up the next skiing slope to another crampon bit as the sun came up at the start of the Col du Mont Maudi section (there is a fixed rope here for the skiers to come down so you can tell how steep it felt!) we were loving it, feeling good and enjoyin

g the climb. we topped out over the col and saw the rest of the route, blimey that looked a long way and it took forever - i was rather knackered and had no oxygen and went quiet - unusual for me - bet the other two were quietly pleased with that result! Another few hours on we crouched just below the summit to put some more kit on and then piled on over the gently rise to the summit ridge - superb - we'd done it, we had fantastic views and an awful lot of people to climb around - it was like the M1 on a bank holiday!!! We texted all the important people and set off in crampons down North Ridge - we were doing a traverse of Mont Blanc so not going down the same way we came up. We got to the Vallot Hut about an hour later and had alot of chocolate, a rest and ut our ski's on for the downhill. Superb snow through scary seracs, blocks the size of houses or hotel ready to tumble and crevasses with bridges that looked a little unstable - we went through some new avalanche debris from 2 weeks ago (we had surveyed this online and seen photos so knew we had to get through it quickly), the bridges were very weak over the crevasses and holes between the blocks so we pushed on and forgot the camera for a bit. Then came a few more climbs as it was re-routed due to the debris and suddenly after 11 and a half hours we were back at the half way station of the Aguilles du Midi lift, we quickly found the café and got the drinks in to celebrate – we had climbed Mont Blanc, ski’d Mont Blanc and were safely back down the hill. Did you know that the record for climbing Mont Blanc is set by a runner at 5 hours 14 minutes and 10secs and it si done from the middle of Chamonix! – Bloomin impossible!

We spent that evening having bubbly, the next evening having bubbly and the next evening having wine! Excellent - oh year and we did a bit of rock climbing and some walking and some running, the weather turned pants so we came home early having achieved all our goals!

Descisions Descisions...

I couldn't decide what to do - several phone calls later and no-one decided for me I went for pulling out of Calderdale Hike to save my legs for a BG recce next weekend, take photos for Runfurther around the event and then do the Dark & White Peak Traiquest on the Sunday. I have been trying to have a blast at my biking to get my legs back into biking. I did a roady ride last saturday, then the Open 5 on the monday (running and biking) and then a 6 hour fast ride on wednesday and then this trailquest today (sunday) and today i finally felt like my biker legs were back (so now i have to keep both the running and biking legs going!). Oh and I came first too - also beat all the girls in the other categories too - am feeling pretty chuffed. Was also 29th out of 132 riders - yippeeeee
I feel like my legs want to ride hard again and not hurt. I was very disturbed with my biking over the last few years as my legs were never quite what they used to be on a bike as I was doing so much running - now I want both and I want both to be feeling good! - i don't ask for much do i! Well as I have been asked to join Team Haglof's for a big four day adventure race in August - i am trying to be as good as I can get for them! See our Team Haglof Pages HERE

Easter & Open 5 Weekend.....

Well Easter had the promise of rain, gales, snow and wind - pooh! So I planned not alot and got - well some fantastic weather and some great activities. Friday was a bit pants on the weather front so did some DIY - well I made a picture frame for my Ama dablam photos and then found a friend who needed a roady ride on Saturday - we set off thinking it's gonna rain - but it didn't - phew - I needed a good ride to push me and Steve was fast enough to pull me round so i showed him a cultural tour of the peaks by the road (not my usual off road stuff but good), we went through Chatsworth, Haddon and Thornbridge hall estates and it didn't rain - phew. Next was a meal and too uch wine at a friend's house up the road and the morning bought gorgeous weather again - so of course the hills beckoned and off I set on an Easter Run out the back of the house up Bradwell Edge. I knew I had to save my legs for the race on monday but the sun was out! I decided to drive to Ruthin for the Open 5 in the morning as the forcast was for rain overnight and my van is quite noisy to sleep in in the rain, so an early night and an early morning. The clouds looked big and black as I got near Ruthin and then i saw the hills, oh i remember these hills - they are quite big - umm maybe should have saved my legs a bit more for this event! Oh well if I don't do well i can just put it down to multi day training! When we all got there we found out the start was about 8km away up a hill - oh well will spin it out on the bike and use it as a warm up! The clouds started to disappear - hooray! I started on the run and the map looked like a mass of contour lines - my legs were gonna love this!!! The hills started and i lapped them up - doing what I had planned in 2 and half hours in 2 hours - oh well i get to do more biking! The biking started well for about 10 minutes - then I got to CP 17, a broken wall crossing the bridleway, the CP was supposed to be 10m up the wall, so i went for a romp over the stones and found nothing, so I thought maybe there was another wall a bit further on (upon reflection i should have looked at the other side of the map, the running map was 1:25000 not 1:50000 so showed the walls - and there wasn't another one!) I fell over lots by the wind pushing me off the slippery muddy horrible track and found no other wall. I was a bit discouraged and thought I had better turn back, it was about a 20 min turn around now back to CP17 and back to where i was - i dithered and then abandoned the idea - apparently I was only about a meter away from the CP but it was quite hidden - bugger! So i carried on and got to lots of mud but an excellent downhill - this cheered me up - was giving myself a hard time for such a stupid basic error - oh well - have a good ride now and forget the race! I had a good ride and got alot more points and felt my legs a bit on the last up hill to the finish but it hadn't rained and I'd had a good day. Road back to the event centre with a mate, definately pushed the legs over the edge, stood in a queue for a bacon butty and then sat down to listed to everyone get their prizes. I had just missed out by a minute on 3rd place (same points), so if I'd bothered to look for CP17 a little better I would have come 2nd!!! 4th felt good though! Then to my surprise the series points were announced and I'd come 3rd over the series - yippee i got a trophy!!! What an excellent way to end a good weekend... Now where was the easter egg....

It is now wednesday and I found a play mate for a 6 hour ride around the Peak District - bit of rain, lots of mud, some excellent downhills, well i chose the route and put all my favourite ones in, and then I got an easter egg - yippeee! Am now officially stuffed!

Wiggle Lightning 12 Hour Run

What am I doing - there are no mountains and a field full of fit looking whippet like runners - oh and me hiding in the van from the rain. I have decided to do a 12 hour run round a 6 mile course at Eastnor Castle.

WHY - cos i have done it on my bike for 24 hours solo so how hard can running it be???

The atmosphere on saturday night was great - everyone buzzing and eating lots, I was nervous but decided I needed an early night as had to be up at 4.45am. Despite two different types of sleeping tablet I lay awake for ages reading my book - bugger - I'm gonna be knackered!

Oh well - morning soon turned up and the sky was clear, the wind had gone and the rain was no where to be seen - phew! The ground looked soggy so decided on fell shoes for the slippery mud. Race briefing was quick and to the point - basically have fun.

I talked with a few other runners, the whippets, and thought - just get out there and enjoy - that is what the briefing was all about! Oh and then the start horn went and I raced off fast (for about 5 metres) - well there was a camera!!! Then we got to the first hill, a runnable one, not used to these as try to find big plods usually, like in the Lake Disrict, but was feeling good to jogged up it a bit then made myself walk a steeper bit as had 12 hours of this to go! I loved the muddy section, the shoes worked well, some whippets had chosen quite roady shoes, this looked like hard work, so me and the other less whippet like around me plodded on, chatting and enjoying the dawn breaking, wishing I had taken my camera.

So the first half of the course was uphill with some muddy singletrack and some grassy down hills afterwoods, then onto some field type terrain and another uphill up to a landrover track and a feed station, then some flattish section and into the second half of the course which had some lovely wooded singletrack I remembered from the biking - it fired me up this bit and on each of my laps I always sped up on this bit! Then across some field bits with the start/finish/changeover area in view with the music and the comentator telling everyone all about who was passing theouh, who was in the lead, and what teams runners were swapping on the realay teams etc. It is a good buzz when you hear your name over the tannoy and people cheering you on. This is especially good when you are not being supported by anyone - makes you feel supported! The other thing that keeps me smiling and looking like I am trying to run is a photographer - there was one who seemed to be everywhere - hopefully i was smiling and looking like I knew what i was doing!!!

Lap two - my feet decided they were a little uncomfortable, must be all the runable bits (all of it really!!!) or is it just that I have trail shoe feet! I was holding my own on each lap now, the first one took me an hour, then I was doing a few at just over the hour. Although had to have toilet breaks and really needed to change my shoes at some point. One bloke I ran for a while with (Trevor, that all the marshals seemed to know) was gonna change into his fell shoes, so I stuck with mine for a bit longer, untill end of lap three I could stand them no longer - they were abandoned and the trail shoes donned, a coffee and some chocolate helped in the process. Oh how wonderfull that felt (the change of shoes I mean!) - I could run again - phew I'm not as bad as I thought - even felt vaguely whippet like (well in mind anyay!). Some more good laps ensued and suddenly I had done 6 hours, that went very quickly. I think it was the fact you could just see where you should be at what time, I was enjoying this, you could play catch up and over take quite easily too (suppose others were doing that with me too, but then I had a notice on my back saying "Solo - please pass with care!" - it got alot of comments!). I had done 5 laps in just under 6 hours. I cold potentially get 10 laps in - blimey i sholdn't keep doing the maths on this - the miles added up to far too many!

I had been in 5th place the wole way so far so thought the whippets may be heading for a lapping of me soon, it just made me scared - like I was being chased! I think it kept me going faster, well untill lap 8 when I was just a bit knackered but trying to keep up with Patrick he was a lap ahead and in second place in the mens solo), I put a good time in but decided I couldn't stomach another two laps, My hips hurt and I wanted to be able to walk tomorrow. So decided to walk lap nine as I felt I could not catch the top 4 and hoped the others behind would not catch me, it took a while longer but still got to the finish half hour before the 12 hours, I was really hurting now and felt another lap would hurt too much so stopped. I had finished, I ws exremely happy and I found a man willing to give my very salty sweaty body a massage - excellent.

Whilst having my massage the sreen popped up with our results and I had come fourth and the girl who was third was on the next massage table and had done the same amount of laps as me (9) so i should have done another lap - I would have been on the podium then!!! Oh well - I did much better than I thouht I would and had enjoyed it. I think next time it may be as a pair - seems like you get a good amount of running in but more able to walk afterwoods! Mind you - the massage was the best post race massage I had ever had and I practically jumped off the table, wolfed a bacon and egg butty down and got in the van to drive home.

It was a good event and very well organised and I now have the t-shirt - well mum always asks why I do these things and of course it's for the t-shirt!!! She thinks I'm mad! I am!

Open 5

Just had a great weekend - back to Adventure Racing. I decided to race on the friday, got an on the day entry (must remember to enter earlier next time as it is cheaper!), facebooked a few friends and got invited to stay up in Kendal, went out for a curry and a few wines, had the worst night sleep in a long time (the Chicken Tikka Balti was off), had the churniest tummy ever all night but managed about 3 hours sleep I think, then got to Sedburgh, in sunshine and crispy frozen ground. Met up with lots of mates I have not seen for a long time and started the race. Took my camera and fiddled around a bit with it on the run (have decided not photogenic anymore - especially on self portraits - so only one photo to post!).

Went up big hill and round the whole village and it's surroundings feeling great, I must be back - feel soooo much better than last year. The biking was supperb and I just happened to be biking the same speed as a mate Ben, which was great for moral to have a bit of company and to see that i haven't lost my biking skills! They need some polishing though!!! Got back 6 mins late so lost 12 points (but the last checkpoint was worth 35 so happy with that!) but then the results came out and I was really surprised by them - came 2nd girlie, beating loads of girlies i really shouldn't have! And If I hadn't faffed on the run with my camera would have had the same points as first girlie, she got same points but no penalties! Oh what a great start to the season - bring it on - Wuthering Hike next week.....

Bare Bottoms on C2C Race

I decided while lots of my mates went back out to UTMB again that I would be missing out all the fun and body bashing the race lets you in on! So I signed up for a Four Day Adventure race called Open Adventure C2C - and it covered the C2C route from Whitehaven/St bees to Robin Hoods Bay.
First of all though you have to get there - I had forgotten how much organising goes into getting all your kit, food, maps, support and life before a big adventure race that involves kayaking, Mountain Biking, Roady Cycling, Fell Running and some Swimming!
I thought I would plan a couple of months in advance so I would be totally organised - one week before the event I had finally found a boat to borrow, my bike had fallen apart and I hadn't even looked at the route on the web so had no idea where I was off to!
So - Boat - sorted - I got a great offer from fellow Macc harriers runner Phil, who kindly leant me a superb sea kayak with posh paddles and all the paraphernalia that goes with kayaking, he gave me a go in the boat on the canal near Macc and it paddled great and I had not forgotten how to do it - phew! So I said yes to the boat and sent off my qualifications to James the Race Director as you have to prove you can kayak too - luckily my certs were stored to hand in the back of beyond in the last tub I looked in, in the back of the dark loft - everything takes so long find!
Next up - make sure I can still run - oh phew had just done my best ever race so that was sorted - the shoes got packed!
Next up - go out biking with mates and break your bike, never mind I have another - oh no I broke that one too! Spend the next two days at the bike repair shop in Hathersage (who are brilliant by the way) sorting one frame and about 6 wheels into something that resembled a working bike - it worked - I picked it up the day I was leaving and had four wheels working so I could have an off road set and a roady slicks set (we were only allowed one bike).
Maps I did mostly at midnight for a few nights leading up to leaving so at least I knew what I was doing and when!
Food - decided I needed healthy food - so spent a couple of afternoons preparing food and freezing the stuff so it would last longer in the van fridge. Also pre cut veg for other meals and made yummy flapjack.
Also secured a mate of mine as a support driver - poor guy had no idea what he was letting himself in for - me in race mode is probably not a good thing especially over four days - but I promised his brother I would not Kill him and hopefully he would find no reason to Kill me!
Last of all (oh after clearing the van of the shite it did not need in!) was a mascot - we all had to race with one - I found a 50 pence Barbie Doll in a local charity shop, made her a Buff Suit and called her Buff Barbie of Team Run Like a Girl.
We were ready - picked Nick up from Macc on the way - ate our food on the way up to Cockermouth to a Youth Hostel so we could get up early and head off to Whitehaven for the start and the first of many kayak sections.
Day 1 - Uh Oh - the wind was up - the waves were crashing over the sea wall and even if they'd said the kayaking was still on I would not have got in my boat - it was a BIG sea! So we all ran to St.Bees - phew - I can do this now - obviously not as fast as the rest of the racers as am sure I was pretty close to last (must remember to make sure there is more slow people in my races to make me feel good!).
A quick change and onto the bike for a roady section over to Crummock Water. Nick was great he had my boat waiting for me in transition and all I had to do was get the thing down to the water on a trolley (no help was allowed by support drivers) - so off I trotted (or is that plodded) and all went well till the wheel fell off - bugger - the wheel fell off - and this is the first kayak section and we have many more portages to go - bugger - go and look for the split pin then - bugger I can't find it - so improvise with a small karabiner. A solo girlie overtook me - bugger!
Paddle - well I would have if the wind had not kept pushing my paddles out of my hands - it was very extremely horribly windy - I thought of giving up kayaking forever! then came the portage - oh god this trolley was not going to work - the wheels were too small for those rocks - not a path to trolley along more of a path to swear at whilst trying to carry a boat that is too heavy to pick up - back aches - can't walk any further - cry - get some help from lovely team 58 - phew - eventually did the kilometre of rough rocky terrain and found some more windy water to paddle - so then it hales, thunders and lightening - umm - not sure I like this either - am definitely giving up paddling forever!
I stay in the van in transition cos I don't want to go up Robinson in that weather - eventually I brave the weather and get up the hill to find Jim (one of the marshals) had been there through all of that weather - gave him a hug for that - the sun came out now so hopefully he had a better afternoon! I had caught up some blokes from a team and one of them said "Hello Kaz" - I must have looked puzzled as he then said "you don't know me but I know your van!" - ah - the van with flowers has been spotted - he must be a Derbyshire resident (later found out he was!) - that just spurred me on to run faster and get over to Dale Head and down Cat Bells - bit of competition - it worked - I flew - and caught up another male solo called Ben - that spurred him on and off he sped! I met him again at transition at Nicol End where we had to get ready for a swim over to Keswick.
I found a lovely smooth bit of concrete to stand on and preceded to undress and get my wetsuit on (well it was cold and I'm obviously a wimp compared to the hard nuts that swam in their running kit!). I started to hear some shouts from the water from the safety guys and the photographers - they told me to turn round - I did and yep - I had been moonying through the window of the cafe - great - that went straight on sleepmonsters.com race report! Oops - sorry to ruin some poor tourists afternoon tea - hey oh!
The swim went well - well I didn't drown and I got to the other side - where I ran off in my wetsuits slippers into Keswick - umm should have asked Nick to take my trainers to the end of the swim - bit stony that track! Still I get into town wearing rubber and running like a girl as usual - poor tourists subjected to that look!
I got to the finish - I had done day 1 - and it was still daylight - excellent - oh and no need for a shower seeing as I'd swam the lake! And I wasn't last! 3rd girlie and 27th overall (teams and solos).

Day 2 – Staggered starts – about 7.20 am I set off on a roady ride to Thirlmere – great another kayak stage – phew the water looked flat and the lake edge was only about 10m away – no trolley or carrying – that is much better – maybe I will like kayaking today and continue to think the sport is something I like! I did like it – the water was flat and the boat went straight and then it all went wrong – the portage at the other end of the lake was another long one – luckily a lot less than a kilometre but still too far to carry but when you don’t have your trolley with you, you have to carry (the boat was far too expensive to drag – unlike those clever people who had hired a plastic boat and didn’t care what they dragged it over!) – I carried – it hurt – the physio after this is going to cost a fortune – bugger! I did get it to the gate at the edge of transition and then just shouted for Nick and he came running over and helped – phew – he was doing a great job. He’d made coffee perfectly and had all my running kit ready for the slog up Helvelyn. Not a hard steep up hill at all – well it was – but at least I wasn’t carrying a boat! I got to the top in a complete white out of fog or mist or whatever type of clag it chose to be, found Phil (a marshal) in a bivi bag hiding from the wind and then set off down Striding Edge – just as the clouds dispersed, the sun came out and the view appeared in front – wow – the ridge looked fantastic and the lake down to the side was beautiful – felt good to be running again – see I seem to like running now – I am sure in my 20’s I was a kayaker, then in my 30’s a biker – does this mean I have to like running for all of my 40’s – god this is gonna hurt! The downhill was a perfect rocky skip of a downhill – I lapped it up. Next up – oh lets carry my boat for a bit – Nick had made me some nice sandwiches and another hot drink and then off I went towards the water (somewhere!). I found it – swore at the boat – the paddle – probably the marshal (with an apology straight after) – definitely the land – got in the boat and immediately forgot the portage and paddled down a gorgeous little river under bridges and overhanging trees and through reeds – wow it was lovely and the boat was ace and I loved kayaking again! Then Ulswater came into view – blimey it looked long on the map let alone when you got on it! – All went well till the wind picked up – then came the doubts and the swearing at the waves pushing me in the wrong direction and the waves for trying to eat me up and the lake for being too long! Everyone overtook me – oh how demoralising – I feel so slow. Getting out of Ulswater was up another gorgeous creek with fantastic houses lining it with seats and barbeques and people chillin – oh for a chill out! No – just one more small carry – it nearly killed me getting the boat onto my shoulder but got there. Nick had more sandwiches and coffee and all my kit ready and my bike ready for me to swap the wheels and off I set – only to return within the first 10 mins cos I had forgotten my pump – would have needed it if I had not gone back for it – typical – must remember my pump next time! The uphill was good, I was on a bike on solid ground not carrying a boat – excellent – so stop enjoying it Karen and get on with it – oops I go the wrong way down a superb downhill in completely the wrong direction – needed an extra uphill – turn round find the real track and now get on with it – whilst telling myself I am a plank over and over – how can a navigator do that – was the downhill so good I had just enjoyed it and not looked at the map or was I getting crap at navving – not acceptable – try harder and concentrate – things will only get worse if I loose concentration – the new downhill was even better! Good choice of tyres too – well done – less of a plank now as have forgotten the mistake and just start enjoying the ride. Eventually I catch Ben up again – wow – didn’t expect that – we chose different routes and then end up finishing at roughly the same time in Kirkby Stephen with Maria (the girl who overtook me on day one kayak one) just a few minutes behind – I am loosing time to her all the time – she’s good – but then both of us are loosing time to Nicola even quicker – she’s super human! Again I finished in the daylight (about 4.15pm) and had plenty of time for a super hot shower and loads of home made curry – which then made me feel faint in the race briefing later on that evening – so missed most of it as I spent the entire evening slumped on the floor feeling awful! Was still 3rd – so was still happy! Well I was happy whatever as there was no more kayaking!!! (29th overall)
Day 3 – Short run over Nine Standards in the morning to end in Keld – we were supposed to see our support cars and drivers half way along on a short road section so they then knew to move to Keld for transition – my Van was not there – it’s not hard to spot with all it’s flowers but it wasn’t there – panic – panic again – ask people to tell Nick I have gone through and then panic for the next half hour – then forget and just run on cos what else could I do – the weather was good, there was no boat on my back and I was enjoying the run (again – weird!). Eventually I get to Keld – blimey it took a while – but there was the Van and even better there was Nick with all my bike kit (minus a helmet and shoes) in the transition shed – he ran off and got my forgotten kit and I changed – hopefully only moonying a couple of cows in the back of the shed, Nick panicking a bit cos I was just strippin off – hey ho - at least I wasn’t in front of a café window! Then off for a mountain bike ride over to Castle Bolton. What a very good ride – some nice riding and again I liked my off road tyre choice (a semi slick on the front and a 1.5 mud claw on the back), kept my speed up and rode well – till I cheekily saw some riders ahead walking a rocky downhill section – so I blasted past on my skinny’s feeling good – then promptly had a puncture – bugger – oh lets change my inner whilst watching the droves of racers file past me! Oh well – quite a quick inner tube change and then off on an excellent really really long down hill – what a blast – found Nick with more sarnies and more coffee to gulp – a quick change onto my roady slick tyres and off towards Northalerton (having seen Ben, Maria, Nicola and everyone else fly past me) – I caught Ben – wow – I must be flying – and stayed ahead all the way to the days finish but not quite enough to get ahead of him. Still 3rd and now 30th overall out of 45 starters – must try harder tomorrow and not slip out of the top 30.
Day 4 – A really early start again – this time at about 6.15am – oh god – the cycle ride to Osmotherley was so hard – my legs don’t work that early in the morning – maybe I over did the cycling yesterday and I’m gonna die today - must push on and get to the run – oh god nearly wipe out on the first downhill corner – the wheels skid, I panic – go up the bank – it luckily pushes me round like a burn and off I fly down the hill to Swainby and a “quiet” transition – me quiet – oh god – remember whisper – you can do it – nearly managed it until I said thank you Nick as I was leaving for the run with my biking helmet still on! Forgot my correct map too – back into transition sort myself out and get on up the hill! The legs are slow and heavy – the sandwiches taste like heaven – I love German Rye bread with cream cheese and avocado – now my preferred race food! Thank you Nick you are a star – they were the perfect sarny! Get up onto the Cleveland Way – someone has made it a lot hillier and longer than I remember – still I push on – it is the last day – the sun is out – I feel good and I can push! I run into transition with still no- one having overtaken me as arrive same time as Sue (from Way up North pairs) and Alex and Sarah from team 58 my kayaker life savers. We then mountain bike along the Cleveland Way and I am feeling really strong now and loving eating the miles up and over taking teams who started before me this morning. I get into transition from my best section so far still with Sue, the 58ers and two others from a team literally just behind me – wow – I was loving my bike and I surprised Nick he was ready but wasn’t expecting me for about another hour! Next was roady wheels for the final push to Robin Hoods bay – the droves started overtaking from the minute I left transition – but I still felt strong and powered on and even the surprise hill in Rushwick before the Middlewood way trail was a mere blip in the scheme of things – I was close to the finish and someone had said the finish was a downhill – excellent – couldn’t wait! The wind got up and was dead ahead and I had to peddle hard to keep moving downhill all the way to the finish – but I’d done it – I got the medal and so did Nick and I had loved every minute of it. We then swam in the sea and drove home!

• 
  

• I came 3rd Girlie and 26th Overall

• I will kayak again - the portages did not put me off - just need to practice - get better and get a lighter boat!
• Thank you James and Lisa Thurlow for organising such a superb event
• Thank you to all the race marshals, behind the scenes crews and other peoples support for all your cheering and encouragement along the way
• BUT my BIGGEST THANK YOU is to Nick for not killing me and putting up with my probably selfish "pass me this" attitude, my demanding cups of tea and coffee and sarnies, my smelly body and kit and for getting up so early every day to drive my kit and feed me and look after me so I (we) could get through this - we made a great team - it worked and we have the prize to show for it!
  

Oh I'm Back!

I'm a runner again - or have I ever actually admitted to being one before?
Well I feel like one now - I had a great race at the Long Tour of Bradwell, Runfurther's new short race. It started 100m down the road from me - bonus - I could sleep longer - well untill I had to get there early to put all the Runfurther flags up, meet all the usual faces and some new ones, chat, get nervous, nip home for the last minute nervous pee as there was a queue and get to the start line in the baking hot sun (at last!). Lots of people were thinking it was gonna be too hot - I was thinking I'm gonna love this heat - feels great to be warm in a British summer! We started, everyone flew off and I, as usual plodded, Karen stylie up the first hill, chatting and trying to get my legs to remember what a long race was all about - I've done soooo many short fell races this summer I'd forgotton that feeling of a whole day of pushing myself - it felt great - my newly learned skills of actually running up some inclines kicked in - better not push it - this was the beginning of a 31 miler with heaps of climb - but I pushed it anyway - I had homemade flapjack in my rucsac - I could push it! I flew down the first downhill "Cavedale" into Castleton, passing runners I don't usually pass and thinking that they'll catch me on the tarmac out the other side of town, but only a few did - so I powered up the next hill to Hollins Cross, chatting with a guy called Willy who'd done the West Highland Way last weekend - god - he should be hurting! Then the next downhill into Edale had me catching the couple form Cambridge again, well they don't get that may steep rocky downs around there - of course they caught me again in the fields through Edale. Ringing Roger was a toughy again but had a little boost when a mate Peter from the village ran down the hill cheering us on (telling me the rest are only just ahead! when infact they were probably already at the half way point!). The downhill from the Druid Stones was great, steep, brackeny, muddy, slippery and I overtook people again - this is a good feeling. Next was straight back up to Lose Hill, running with Willy again. Hope was next, some biscuits and a long drink and then up round Win Hill and a swarm of flying ants - yuk - don't smile they get in your teeth! Then down to the dam and I'd made the cut off point just over half way in 3 hours 45. A long roady section up passed Bamford Edge to Stanage, but loads of motor bikers distract me and I go straight passed CP12 right to the top of Stannage - boo - gotta go all the way back down again - what a waist of all my hard effort overtaking - Clare Kenny goes passed me - oh well usually she's hours ahead of me at this point in most races - so i plod on - Stannage Edge was longer than usual - someone had added in a few extra rocks and a slight incline - sure this wasn't right!!! Willy kept me on the right track at a lack of concentration moment and on I sped - decided I needed to get home now - the flapjack was too sweet and tasted not good so needed home!!! I ran as fast as I could - loving this new feeling of being able to push myself harder - must be the shorter races I've been doing! I ran through a mini Blackpool Pleasure Beach on the Longshaw estate, kids in the river - how jealous was I, picnics - how jealous was I, BBQ's - oh how jealous was I, people lying down relaxing - well I was running and I could eat mountains later! Down to Grindleford, a long slog along the river to Hathersage, a long drink at Adrians feed station - he asked me questions and I grunted the answers - I needed to finish now and I still had 9km to go - push it karen - lets get under 8 hours - I pushed it and pushed it and ran uphills and then powered down the last steep one to Bradwell, I was gonna make it and I caught some folks up ahead, that didn't impress them, they spead up and we had a race on for the finish - two of them got me but I beat the one in - 7 hours and 24 mins - and a collapse on the line, a cuppa tea from my mum and then I got told I was fourth girl - Brilliant - what had I done - I'd beaten loads of people who are usually hours ahead of me - i can run - and I loved it - big adrenalin buzz - hence the ramblimng on this blog - the adrenalin will die down at some point!!!
My runfurther score is the best I've ever had - i was less than two hours behind the leaders and got my first score over 700 - I hope this fitness stays with me - I quite like it! I'm back!